The airlines jointly announced that United CEO Glenn Tilton and Aer Lingus CEO Dermot Mannion signed the agreement in Chicago. They said customers could start booking the joined-up services in September for flights on or after Nov. 1.

Industry analysts said the deal, which requires U.S. regulatory approval, will increase U.S. tourist and business traffic through Ireland at the expense of neighboring Britain, where increased security delays — and chronic problems at Heathrow Airport in particular — have made Europe-bound travelers seek a different hub.

United's senior vice president for alliances and regulatory Affairs, Michael Whitaker, said the deal would "give our customers more non-stop destinations across the Atlantic."

Aer Lingus said its trans-Atlantic services to seven U.S. cities would all begin carrying United codes, while members of either carrier's loyalty programs would be able to redeem their points on flights operated by both airlines.

The deal should help Aer Lingus fill empty seats on its expanding short-haul network to other parts of Europe. The Irish airline, which was privatized in September 2006, faces the toughest local competition in Europe in the form of cutthroat budget airline Ryanair.

The Irish are increasingly opting to fly to the United States, rather than Europe, to exploit the exceptional weakness of the U.S. dollar. Weekend shopping trips to New York are particularly common.

Mannion said the deal would allow more Irish and other Europeans to reach United's more than 200 destinations without having to make separate bookings or collect their luggage midway.

Aer Lingus flies into four of United's U.S. hubs: Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington.

"We believe that this agreement will strengthen our position in the U.S. market as we capitalize on the scale and the strength of the United Airlines network," Mannion said in a statement.

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